Bill Gates to step down as Microsoft chairman, will spend more time on products

Apparently Bill Gates will be stepping down from his role as chairman, and instead focus more of his attention on products.

It is likely that his role will be more of an adviser than anything else, since he will probably be working at Microsoft only one day a week. There is speculation that he is stepping down to allow himself more time to work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Geoffrey Moore is the author of “Crossing the Chasm”, which follows the journey and challenges inherent in the marketing of technology products. He believes that this change will have a positive effect on Microsoft’s products. “The more time Bill spends on product development, the better. He and Steve Jobs seem very different on the outside, but at their core they were very similar. They both see things that others don’t see, and they’re both very demanding.”

There are some, though, who feel that Gates may not be up-to-date enough to deal with a market that has changed as much as it has. “Bill’s product reviews were legendary, and Microsoft’s products would benefit from his input,” said Todd Warren, a young Microsoft exec that departed back in 2009. “My concern would be that the tech landscape has shifted away from the PC in recent years.”

Still, it will interesting to see what effect Gates has on future Microsoft endeavors.